I lost two stone in four months with Slimpod and I’m a new person https://t.co/5b8FPZ4dti

I lost two stone in four months with Slimpod and I’m a new person https://t.co/5b8FPZ4dti

— sosnicaragua (@sosnicaragua) November 30, 2020

from Twitter https://twitter.com/sosnicaragua

I lost two stone in four months with Slimpod and I’m a new person

ON a diet since she was 16. Obese for 20 years. Now she’s lost two stone on Slimpod in only four months.  Sally-Anne Griffiths’s story is just the inspiration we need at the moment!

I’ve got a wonderful video interview with her and she’s also written about her weight loss experience to show exactly what’s possible with Slimpod.

Whether you’ve just started Slimpod or been on it for months, I’m sure you’ll be motivated by her achievements.

Remember, Slimpod works on individual minds and everyone’s journey is different. So don’t compare yourself with Sally-Anne.

Just take inspiration. See what’s possible. Give yourself hope. Here’s the video, which you can watch on The Slimpod Channel:

Here’s Sally-Anne’s Slimpod success story:

“I was a slim child and started putting weight on in my teens. My mum always says it was when I started eating what I wanted, rather than what I was given.

“I’ve been on a diet since about the age of 16. I was a greedy eater and a couch potato. I’m not a huge drinker so food was my big issue.

“I’ve tried every type of diet WW, SW, Atkins, meal replacement, calorie controlled, low fat, 5:2, hypnotherapy, cabbage soup, modius, skinny jab and lots, lots more.

“I have never achieved my goal weight or got anywhere near it. I have been classed as obese for at least the last 20 years.

“I would be committed for the first few weeks/months of each programme that I tried. I would work hard to lose the  first stone but it would be a yo-yo journey with one step forward, two steps back.

“It was never enjoyable even given the freedom and choice of some plans. After about 5-6 weeks into a programme my willpower would cave and over the coming weeks and months my diet plan would fail.

“The most I’d ever lost was just over two stone. I didn’t even get to goal weight for my wedding.

“When I joined Slimpod I was as big as I’d ever been (a large size 18) and as desperate!

“From day one I found a difference, although at first I was a secret Podder.

“I’d failed so many times before I didn’t want to start shouting about Slimpod until I knew it was working for me and I’d got past the self-sabotage 5-6 weeks stage.

“One of the first habits to break was my daily weighing habit. The scales had held me hostage for years.

“With Slimpod I allowed myself to weigh weekly for the first month and then fortnightly after that. I now only weigh myself once a month and when I get to my goal I’d like to ditch them altogether but I’m proud of how far I’ve come.

Sally-Anne before Slimpod

“I also took my measurements as soon as I started (this is a definite must). Prior to Slimpod when I used to weigh myself, I would often emotionally eat afterwards if I hadn’t lost any/the weight I felt I deserved

“Equally I would emotionally eat if I had lost weight (was that reward or self-sabotage or both?).

“What I have loved about Slimpod is the fact I’m not on a diet and therefore there is no wagon to fall off.

“This has had a huge personal impact on me that I wasn’t consciously aware of before. I can now see that in diet failure mode I would have very negative self-talk.

“I knew that I felt happier in myself when I was losing weight but I didn’t realise that’s because I would be so brutal with myself when I wasn’t.

“Criticising myself as a constant failure is bound to have long-term effect son your self-worth.

“I am so much kinder to myself now. I love myself more, I am happier in my skin.

“I used to hate photos of myself and couldn’t bear looking in the mirror – now I like some of the photos taken and feel proud of what I’ve achieved so far.

“My daily affirmations are: I am worthy, I believe in myself and Today is going to be a Great Day. I use these to override the negative talk at times.

“I have listened to Slimpod every night since starting and religiously document my wins.

“I stopped snacking from day one and found my full signal within the first week. I also eat a lot less – no more the greedy eater.

“I also found my food choices changing. I eat more fish, fruit and vegetables than before and when I’m out socialising I naturally choose healthy meals. It’s like magic!

“This was an issue previously on diet plans as a lunch or dinner would generally take me off track (with my cravings for chips) and my week would be blown. Failed again. Slimpod has put paid to all of that.

“I’ve replaced my cravings for bread, crisps, chocolate and chips to craving food like sweetcorn, fish, fresh fruit, Greek yoghurt. I also eat more balanced meals.

“Having read more into the impact sugar has on your body I have significantly reduced  my intake of low fat (high sugar) and artificial sweeteners. I now enjoy butter, full fat milk and full fat Greek yoghurt.

“That isn’t to say that I don’t ever eat chocolate, crisps, cake etc. I do – after all I’m not on a diet. It’s just naturally now more seldom and in much smaller quantities than before.

“I have been on two holidays since joining Slimpod and not gained a pound (normally I’d be looking at 7-10 pounds gain). One of them was a week all-inclusive in beautiful Rhodes.

“I smiled at myself as I would sail past the huge variety of breakfast choices and head happily and wantonly to the fruit, yoghurt and nuts (that was when I fell in love with Greek yoghurt).

“On previous holidays breakfast was always my favourite meal. So much choice, so much variety to eat and I’d have two or three trips up to the buffet counters before leaving the dining room completely stuffed.

“Breakfast still was my favourite meal in Rhodes but for different reasons now. Don’t get me wrong, I had a fabulous indulgent holiday enjoying cocktail a many, the odd pudding here and there and whatever I fancied to eat.

“I just didn’t always revert to the crap food in the first instance.

“I have also found myself naturally falling into intermittent fasting. I do this 5-7 days a week but I’m not fanatical about it. I could never have done this before – I was too greedy to fast.

“The other piece of Slimpod magic for me is exercise. The love of exercise has grown over time.

“Initially I would find myself enjoying the morning dog walks more and walking further than normal. My daily steps went from an average of 6k to meeting my 10k goal each day.

“I also started tap dancing (for the first time in over 30 years) and loved it. However in month four I accepted a challenge from Lynn and it seems to have ignited a love for exercise in me.

“I might only do seven mins or 14 mins a day but my steps are now at least 12k a day and average over 90k a week.

“This does make my inner smile grow by the day. Who is this new person emerging? Or was she there all the time?

“I am so pleased that I followed the advice from the start of the programme and documented my measurements. This has really kept me going since losing the daily weigh habit.

“That and also the clothes that I can now get into, that I haven’t worn for at least three years – or ever.

“I call it ‘the taste of skinny’. It helps to keep me to motivated to reach my goal (and having ditched the daily scales, nothing can sabotage that). Bizarrely, I now fit into clothes that I wore when I was a stone lighter.

Sally-Anne today

“Slimpod doesn’t require willpower (yay) but it does require commitment. I completed the ribbon challenge, a goal map and watched the videos and read the emails that come with the programme.

“But don’t get me wrong, these aren’t onerous, they are all part of supporting your journey to success.

“The Facebook group is also amazing. I remember being in my first week and being inspired by the success stories from those just completing week 12.

“I began to believe this was the programme for me. At week 12 I posted my success on the programme so far and was overwhelmed by the amazing comments from group members.

“I had posted in the hope I might help another newbie believe in the Slimpod magic. I didn’t realise the positive impact the post would have on me.

“So in addition to being more confident, happier in my skin etc the number results for me so far are as follows (I joined on 2 August, 2020):

Weight loss 1.5 stone

BMI reduced from 34.2 to 30.8 (I only have 5 pounds to lose to go from obese to overweight category)

Measurements lost over 60cm

Dropped 2 dress sizes

“This failed dieter has achieved her first goal map. I’ve now reset my goal and I’m aiming to be a size 12 by March (I can’t ever remember being a size 12!)”

Please leave a comment below to let me know how well you’re doing. I love reading them all and other people find them really inspiring.

The post I lost two stone in four months with Slimpod and I’m a new person appeared first on Slimpod.

3 tips to beat Xmas stress and keep your weight loss on track

SORRY to remind you, but in barely four weeks it will be Christmas Eve. Can you believe that?!  I’m in a state of shock!  I’ve already been asked when the decorations and the tree are going up!

Then I need to get the cards written and posted, the shopping done, the food and drink in, the presents bought and wrapped PLUS a million other things I’ve not even thought about yet!

Sounding like a bit of a humbug, I could do without it this year to be honest!

Christmas is always stressful but it feels that this Christmas – after the eight months of mayhem we’ve been through – is the toughest ever.

The worst thing about stress is that good habits can go out of the window and bad ones can march in through the door! Bad habits not only prevent you from accomplishing your goals, they can also jeopardise your health – mentally and physically – and waste your time and energy.

You may not know this, but bad habits are generally caused by two things – stress and boredom. Most of the time, bad habits like snacking, over-eating or drinking too much become a way of coping.

I’ve noticed over the years that sweet stuff and alcohol become my major stress response and I know the one thing so many of us do when we’re bored is snack!

I can feel you agreeing with me right now!  If we’re watching TV we start by just having one packet of crisps, then we get the taste for them.

Those crisps often then develop into us looking for biscuits and maybe a glass of wine to go with them!  How many times do you sit down in the evening with a glass of wine or a G&T for example?

Then it develops into a regular habit.

But you CAN change this – habits don’t have to be what consumes your life. You can create new and healthy ways to deal with stress and boredom which will replace your bad habits.

Here’s three tips to keep you on track so you can beat Xmas stress (and I’m doing a deep dive into this on my FB live on Thursday with more tips – join me then!)

Beat Xmas stress – tip 1

Work out what triggers your bad habit. Ask yourself these questions:

When does my bad habit happen?

Is it the same time each day?

Where am I when I do it?

We’re being triggered every day of the week and it’s hugely important to work out what sets off the behaviour, because when you identify this you can stop it – or at the very least control it.

Beat Xmas stress – tip 2

Track your habit’s favourite time and place.

Being far more aware of your habit can give you dozens of ideas for stopping it.  So use your phone to note down when it happens and what you are doing.

This little exercise isn’t for you to judge yourself or feel guilty – the only thing you need to achieve is to be more aware of what’s going on.

Awareness is the first important step towards change.

Beat Xmas stress – tip 3

Replace the bad habit with a good habit.

If you eat sweet stuff when you’re stressed then it’s not a good idea to  suddenly stop. That way your needs will be unfulfilled and it’s going to be hard to stick to a new behaviour or routine for very long.

Suddenly depriving yourself of something is the mistake a lot of people make – and that’s why diets can’t be sustained for long.

Instead what you should work towards is being aware of what you’re putting your mouth and then consciously changing it to something similar but not as bad for you.

In the case of chocolate – choose one with less sugar, or possibly some sweetish fruit if that works – because this way you’ll start adopting new behaviour that fulfils the same need but is healthier.

Of course,  if you’re on the Slimpod programme your tastebuds and your need for sweet stuff will probably have changed already and you’ll be getting your pleasure and reward from healthier food and exercise.

But if there’s something that’s being stubborn, or there’s another habit you want to break to help you beat Xmas stress, then these three tips will be really effective.

Breaking bad habits takes time and effort but mostly perseverance.  It’s that good old consistency word again.

Most people who end up breaking their habits have tried multiple times before they made it work.  So you may not have success right away but that’s ok – because the rewards will be worth it in the end

To help motivate you to kick your bad habits, I’ll be doing a deep dive on all this on my Instagram page live at 7pm UK time on Thursday (November 26) and then the main public Facebook page at 7.30pm.

What habits do you want to change before Christmas? How are you planning to beat Xmas stress?

Please let me know in a comment below.

The post 3 tips to beat Xmas stress and keep your weight loss on track appeared first on Slimpod.

3 tips to beat Xmas stress and keep your weight loss on track https://t.co/sA6ojoBPsj

3 tips to beat Xmas stress and keep your weight loss on track https://t.co/sA6ojoBPsj

— sosnicaragua (@sosnicaragua) November 24, 2020

from Twitter https://twitter.com/sosnicaragua

Letting go of the scales will help you to conquer emotional eating https://t.co/Am83z9eBP7

Letting go of the scales will help you to conquer emotional eating https://t.co/Am83z9eBP7

— sosnicaragua (@sosnicaragua) November 17, 2020

from Twitter https://twitter.com/sosnicaragua

Letting go of the scales will help you to conquer emotional eating

LETTING go of the scales is one of the major things people struggle with on the Slimpod programme. For many, weighing is an obsession.  And for some, it’s an addiction.

The scales can be your friend or your foe.  They can help keep you accountable or they can do the opposite by throwing you completely off track and sending you into an emotional spin.

If they hold you accountable then that’s fabulous.  If there’s no emotion attached to them whatsoever, then happy days!

BUT in my many years of experience, I don’t see them as a hugely-helpful weight loss tool.  In fact, I would say they cause so many psychological issues that they’re the reason so many people self-sabotage.

Daily weighing can lead to increased emotional eating and can damage your self-esteem.

A study in 2015 which tracked participants over 10 years showed that self-weighing is associated with increased weight concerns and depression.

The study also showed a decrease in body satisfaction and self-esteem over the 10 years, especially for the women in the study.

If you’re an emotional eater, weighing yourself can be one of the most effective ways to feel really bad about yourself.

When that number is not the one you were hoping for it doesn’t help with anything.

In fact, it can have very serious emotional consequences.  That’s how much power we give to the scales.

If you’ve been a long-time emotional eater, the scales are not your friend!

In fact, there’s no real reason to weigh yourself at all.

Your weight can’t tell you anything about the nutrient density of the food you eat and its effect on your body.

Unless you have a body composition scale, it doesn’t tell you how much muscle you have versus how much fat.

 And it certainly doesn’t tell you anything positive about your relationship with yourself, especially when you’re an emotional eater.

We all know what it’s like!  If the number’s gone down, you feel great about yourself.

But when it’s up – and especially if it’s a big number – your mood plummets, your drive for self-care fades and self-compassion is nowhere in sight.

But here’s the thing!  If you break the terrible power the scales have over you,  you can become more engaged in your relationship with your body and work together – rather than seeing food as the enemy and the body as the battleground.

We all know the power of Slimpod is that it helps you to start trusting yourself to make the right decisions for your health and wellbeing so you don’t need external sources like diet companies to tell you how to eat.

If you want a better relationship with food and your body, turn away from the external validation the scales give you and turn toward trusting yourself.

This is the way out of negative body image, low self-esteem and all the emotional eating that brings.

What needs to happen is you develop an internal confidence that you are making the right choices every day which will lead to your goal. When you have this internal confidence, you never need the scales again!

But when you’ve become reliant on the external verification of daily weighing…

How do you break the habit/addiction?

How do you wean yourself off?

How easy is letting go of the scales?

Here’s five tips – and I’m doing a deep dive into this during my live this Thursday on the Slimpod public Facebook page:

ONE: Out of sight out of mind!  Put the scales somewhere you’re not seeing them every day.  This will really help. If they’re currently in your bedroom – put it them in another room or in a cupboard!

TWO: If you’re someone who weighs every day, wean yourself off in baby steps and consciously make a decision to weigh every second day.  Then once a week – then once a month.

THREE: Have it as one of your goals that you’ll trust yourself and chalk it up as a win every time you go a day or week without weighing.

FOUR: Use your clothes as your guide, or a measuring tape or a ribbon.

FIVE: If the scales keep you accountable and you have absolutely no emotional reaction, then that’s fine – keep using them to help you succeed.

One last thing…if you’re new to the Slimpod programme, then take it easy.  Weighing has been a habit for a long time and you may need it as a psychological safety net to start with before you can be free to trust yourself and go it alone!

Let me know below if the scales are your friend or foe. Are you letting go of the scales?

Join me on Thursday November 19 at 7.30pm UK time on our public Facebook page and I’ll do a deep dive into letting go of the scales and all of the above!

The post Letting go of the scales will help you to conquer emotional eating appeared first on Slimpod.

Think positively in the pandemic and you’ll feel in control https://t.co/XWVrcBz8Yg

Think positively in the pandemic and you’ll feel in control https://t.co/XWVrcBz8Yg

— sosnicaragua (@sosnicaragua) November 10, 2020

from Twitter https://twitter.com/sosnicaragua

Think positively in the pandemic and you’ll feel in control

THINK positively! That’s today’s message. With lockdown in full swing again, I felt it was time to really ramp up some positivity. So I asked my friend Brian Mayne, the author, international speaker and creator of Goalmapping.com, to join me on a Zoom to inspire and add some much-needed light to our lives right now.

We went live in Slimpod Club last Wednesday, and everyone loved it so much I thought I’d share the session so that the whole Slimpod community could benefit.

One of our lovely Podders has used Goalmappingcom with her Slimpod and has lost seven stone!  They really are the dream team!

Let me know below how you’re doing and whether you’ve created your own goal map.

Brian and I also have some very exciting news in the video for all Slimpod users – an exclusive new resource we’ll be launching shortly.

Here’s this week’s video:

While you’re on The Slimpod Channel watching the video, please hit the Like and Share buttons so more people can receive this totally-free help and advice. If you Subscribe to the channel, you’ll get priority notifications every time I post up a new video.

Think positively – 30-second summary

**  We’re all different and unique but we are all a combination of our thoughts, feelings and actions

**  Thoughts you repeat often enough become beliefs’ they can be negative or positive and empowering

**  Our thoughts influence our feelings and this shapes who we are as a person – our authentic true self

**  All we are starts with our thought; with our thoughts we are able to shape our world

**  If you think positively it releases the chemical serotonin into the brain – better known as “the happy chemical”

**  Feeling good about ourselves and about life has a powerful effect on our behaviour and our wellbeing.

Please leave a comment below to let me know if you’re going to think positive now. Have you created a goal map for your future? Do let me know what’s on yours and how it’s working.

You can create a free goal map at Goalmapping.com

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Lynn’s amazing story will lift you up and inspire you https://t.co/ulNIAJZ0Aq

Lynn’s amazing story will lift you up and inspire you https://t.co/ulNIAJZ0Aq

— sosnicaragua (@sosnicaragua) November 2, 2020

from Twitter https://twitter.com/sosnicaragua

Lynn’s amazing story will lift you up and inspire you

FEELING supported is the backbone of any weight loss journey, whether it’s by family, friends or a group of like-minded people.

I’m SO proud that people say the support they get on our programme is one of the best they’ve experienced.

Within Slimpod Club, our private Facebook group, we have amazing support from the community, a buddy system and mentoring.

We also have a constant programme of motivational challenges. In addition, of course, I do my weekly live chats, which are designed to motivate and inspire.

But we recognise that the group support up until now has only been available if you’re a Facebook user.

So our lovely community managers, Kate Morris and Lynn Haddrell, are going to be hosting weekly Zooms called Gold Gatherings to support the whole community whether you’re on Facebook or not.

Kate and Lynn recently joined Team Slimpod. They’re both Slimpodders and have great stories to tell.

I asked Lynn to introduce herself to you all and you’ll be amazed by her video:

This is the inspiring takeaway from Lynn:

“Slimpod has made me feel like a completely new person but in truth this me was always there, I just didn’t know how to find her.

“I am slimmer, fitter, healthier and I can look in the mirror and smile.  I am a positive, calm, resilient and happy person who loves life.

“I’ve always been kind to others but am finally kind to myself too.”

What a wonderful, uplifting, full-of-hope story – just when we needed something to make us all feel better about life.

The Gold Gatherings are kicking off tonight (Monday Nov 2) at with a test run at 8pm for Slimpod Club members.  It’s an informal gathering for Slimpod Club members who want to meet up for a chat and get support.

If you’re in Slimpod Club, we’ve already posted details on how to log in to the Zoom chat.

The community managers do not give weight loss advice but they can share their wisdom about Slimpod and point you in the direction of help if you’re struggling.

Next week’s Gold Gatherings will be a coffee morning on Wednesday Nov 11 at 10am. This will be held at GoldGatherings.com and will be open to all Slimpodders.

However, don’t go searching for GoldGatherings.com until next week as it won’t be open until shortly before each Zoom meeting takes place.

I’ll email you full details about next week’s Zoom chat, including a password, nearer the time.

Meanwhile, please leave a comment below to let Lynn and myself know how her story has resonated with you.

The post Lynn’s amazing story will lift you up and inspire you appeared first on Slimpod.